allen



I June 16, 1931. J. M. ALLEN 1,310,098

SEAMLESS HOSIERY AND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING SAME Filed March 5. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l 117142172301: film N A //e/1.

June 16, 1931. J. M. ALLEN SEAMLESS HOSIERY AND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING SAME- Filed March 5. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 16, 1931 STE Parr Friar 7' JOHN M. ALLEN,

or roaonro, on'renro, CANADA, nssienon To seem a WILLIAMS moo-neonatal), or new YORK,=N. Y.

SEA'MLESS HQSIEBY AND PRQCFZ Q GE MANUFAGTURING SAME Application filed March 5, 1929. Serial No. 344,192;

The principal objects of this invention are, to provide a seamless stocking with a foot particularly shaped to the contour of the foot of the wearer without the formation of puckers r dog-ears at the inner ends of the sutures v a stocking structure which will enable the carrying of a silk instep yarn well into the top of the toe portion to effect the shortening of the toe structure and to enhance its eflL ciencyr i The principal feature of the invention consists in the novel formation of the toe of the stocking by lengthening the gore to extend from the widest partof the foot of the wearer and widening a portion of the toe by knitting a gusset into the gore of a lesser length than said gore, and'fitting a segment of fabric betweenthe toeand instep and looping the end of the bottom of the toe to the bottom of the foot opposite said insert segment. I 1

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevationa-l view of a stockingformed with a specially long toe structure having a segment formed with tapered ends inserted in the instep forward of the looping line connecting the end of the bottom of the toe to the sole.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view showing the manner of fitting the fabric prior to loop ing the ends of the toe bottom and sole to gether.

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of a stocking formed with'aspecially long toe structure having a tapered segment inserted in the instep back of-the looping linevconnecting the end of the bottom of the toe to the sole.

Figure a is an elevational View showing the manner in which the fabric of the stocking shownin Figure 3-isknitted1prior to loopmg.

Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the manner of manipulating the needles in forming,

thestocking illustrated in, Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 6 is a diagram similar to Figure 5 lllustrating the arrangement of'needles in the kmtting of the stocking shown 1n Figure 3.

The construction of stockingherein shown" is carried into effect upon a clrcular knltting machine and] the leg, heel and body portion of the foot is formed in the usual manner.

7 The body of the foot shownin Figures '1 and 2 is circularly knit with the. full comple-V ment of needles indicated in Figure 5 to the point Ain Figure 1. The gore is then commencedby lifting less thanhalf of the lower segment of needles out of action as a group ting by reciprocation while removing-more needles from actionfrom the points At" t The knitting'of the instep is continued progressively picking further needles out of action right up to the point B of the gore at which point only the needles between B- B, Figure 5 remain in action. A changeof yarn from the light instep yarn to the reinforced toe yarn is made intermediate of the length of the gore and preferably about the point'C thereof. I V

When the point B has been reached in the knittingof the toe the needles between the points B-C on each side-are brought into action simultaneously and a plurality of rows of knitting are knitted to extend along. the

gore edge to form the gussets Gr. Upon'completion of the desired rows for the gussets the groups of needles from C to B Figure 5, are taken out of action, leaving only those between B'B in action. Knitting is continued from the point B progressively picking down the needles into action until half the complement of needles is'returned at the point D which represents the needles between points DD of Figure 5. I

Theknitting is continued from the point D picking needles out-of action on either side from the point D to the point A, the number of needlespicked out of action corresponding with the number of needles between the points D and the points A Figure 5 over half the complement knitted at the beginning of the toe.

between the points AA Figure 5: and knit- It will thus be seen that a suture is formed to the point D from the toe end of the foot.

When the knitting has been completed to the point A on the bottom side of the toe looper rounds L are knitted to the toe end and to the bottom end of the foot body with the full complement of needles which have been returned to action at the point A. The

edgesof the body of the foot fromD to A and A to X at the bottom of the foot are connected with the end of the bottom toe segment by the loop stitches E.

From this description it willbe seen that a segment of fabric has been built in to the instep between the points A and D, which segment has tapering ends and in finishing the stocking the loop stitches E join the tapered edge of the bottom section of the stocking from the terminal end of the suture at D along the tapered end edge of the insert segment and from the point A under the bottom of the foot.

The increased number of stitches in the top side of the foot created by the insertion of the segment S permits the addition of a similar number of rows of stitches in the toe bottom and as the instep yarn is of a very fine closely knit texture and the toe bottom is formed of a much heavier yarn and longer stitch the length of the bottom of the foot is materially increased over the length of the top.

The process above described generally in relation to the particular stocking illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 will now be described in detail in its specific'relaton to the diagrammatic illustration, Figure 5, and is asfollows, the knitting of the foot portion being done withthe full complement ofneedles until the point A is reached (Figure 1). The knitting then proceeds from this point using only the upper needles between points AA while progressively removing from operation the needles from A to D until only the needles between D D on the upper half remain in operation. v

As the knitting proceeds the needles from D to B are progressively removed from operation until onlythe needles between BB remain'in operation. At this point the groups of needles from B to C are simultaneously brought into action and a plurality of partial courses are knit with a progressively reduced number'ot needles forming the gussets (h'Figure 1L At this point Of all needles other than those between the points BB are simultaneously removed from operation and theknit ting proceeds progressively bringing the needles between'BD progressively into operation untilneedles between DD are again in operation thereafter reducing progressively thenumberof'needles in operation until the knitting reaches points A Figure 2 whereupon the full complement of needles are again brought into action to knit the looper courses L.

In knitting the'stocking illustrated in Fig ures 3 and 4 the body of the foot is circle knit to the point A with the full complement of needles shown in Figure 6. The toe gore is then commenced by lifting less that half of the lower segment of needles out of action as a group between the points AA, Figure 6, and from the points A the knitting is continued by reciprocation, picking needles out of action to the end of the gore at B at which point only the needles between IS -B Figure 6, remain in action. The needles between BC on either side of the cylinder, Figure 6, are then simultaneously dropped into action to knit the gusset G and the gusset forming needles are then re moved from action leaving only the needles between B B in action and the secondary gore is continued along the edge of the gusset from 13* till it joins with the gore at the inward ends 9 of the gusset. The toe bottom T is formed by picking down needles progressively from the point B until the points D are reached when half the complement of needles are in use corresponding to the .1

needles between DD Figure 6.

This half of the needles is then lifted out of action and the cylinder given a half turn, at the same time putting into action the segment of needles AA, Figure 6, which were used to make the sole of the stocking and knitting is then continued from the points A to the points D picking needles between A and D Figure 6 intoaction progressively on each side forming a suture from r to D. The entire complement of needles is then thrown into operation and looper rounds L are knitted, after which the stocking is joined at the loop line X. The operation involved with specific reference to the diagram illustrated in Figure 6 to form the stocking of Figures 3 and t proceeds in a manner somewhat similar to that described in relation to Figure 5 with the exception that when the points D (Fig. 4) are reached which correspond to the point D (Fig. '2), knitting on the upper needles from D to D isdiscontinued and the lower needles from A to A are thrown into operation as a group progressively bringing into operation'the additional lower needles from A to D until the point D, Figure 4, is reached thus forming a tapered continua-' tion of the lower portion of the foot to register with the instep segment S whereas in the stocking shown in Figures 1 and 2 the lower insert segment forms a continuation of the underside of the toe pocket.

The stocking shown in Figures 3 and 4 is quite similar to that illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 in that there is an inserted strip of fabric S in the instep portion which, being formed of a lighter yarn and a finer stitch than the toe and foot portion which has a corresponding number of stitches, causes the under portion of the stocking to be longer than the top. Further, by the knitting in ofv tapered segments the puckers or dog-ears are eliminated.

These features taken together with the extraordinarily long toe created by the insert of the gusset ensures a perfectly fitting stocking which covers the foot uniformly and without wrinkles or puckers.

WVha-t I claim as my invention is 1. In a process for manufacturing seamless hosiery having a toe pocket which is commenced on substantially half the needles, the step of inserting a segment of fabric between the toe and the instep by reciprocatory knitting on a number of needles varied by picking, said half the needles being in action when knitting the course which meets the inner ends of the toe gores and more of said needles being in action in the other courses of the segment and providing a compensating segment in the under side. I

2. A process for manufacturing seamless hosiery consisting in first knitting the foot, then inserting a segment of fabric on the instep side by reciprocatory knitting with less than the whole but more than half the circle of needles in action when knitting the longest course and fewer of said needles being in action in the other courses of the segment, then commencing the toe pocket on the minimum number of needles used in said segment of fabric and knitting the toe pocket with diagonal sutures, then inserting a segmentin the sole side of the foot to compensate for the aforesaid segment on the instep side, and finishing said pocket by looping.

3. A process for manufacturing seamlesshosiery consisting in first knitting the foot on the full complement of needles, then knit ting a segment of fabric on the top or instep side of the foot by reciprocatory knitting commencing on more than half the needles and using progressively less needles on the succeeding courses until half the needles remain in operation, then commencing the knitting of a long tapered toe pocket on said half the needles and knitting the toe pocket with diagonal sutures then inserting a segment in the sole side of the foot to compensate for the aforesaid segment on the instep side, and

finally finishing the end of said toe pocket. by looping the unconnected edges.

4. A process for manufacturing seamless hosiery consisting in first knitting a stocking foot on the full complement of needles, then commencing the toe gore by putting less than half of the lower segment of needles out of action and continuing the knitting progressively putting needles out of action until the toe end of the gore is reached, then knitting in a gusset of less length than the gore, then progressively putting needles into action until half the complement of needles are in operation, then progressively removing needles from action until thenumber ofneedles remaining'in action equals the number of nee dle's' removed from action at thecommencement of knitting the toe, and then looping the unconnected ends of the foot and the toe together. i

5. A knitted stocking having a toe pocket i with a diagonal sutureon each side in combination with a tapered gusset on theinstep side of the foot arranged between the toe pocket and-the foot,- the points of said gusset being beyondandnot joining theterminal ends of the sutures and a tapered segment inserted between the toepocket and the under side of'the foot. a

6. A knitted stocking having a toe pocket with a diagonal suture on each side and a segment of fabric knitted between the instep and the toepocket, the course of said segment next the toe pocket being the shortest and the other courses containing progressively more st1tches,"and a segment of fabric 1nterposed between the toe pocket and foot on gusset extending between the inner ends of the sutures of the toe pocket and the points of the gusset extending beyond the sutures,

the widened segment of the toe pocket being tapered at-its extremity to meet the tape-red ends of said gusset.

8. A seamless knitted stocking having a toe pocket with a suture in each side in combination with a segment of fabric arranged between the foot and the toe pocket on the instep side of the foot, said segment of fabric having tapered ends, the shortest courses of which meet the ends of the toe sutures with the points extending beyond the same and the bottom segment of the toe pocket having a tapered end, the side edges of which match the tapered ends of the instep segment beyond the ends of the toe sutures.

9. A process of manufacturing seamless hosiery consisting in first knitting the foot on the full circle of needles, then knitting to the instep portion a plurality of partial courses knit with the same yarn as the instep with a progressively decreasing number of needles commencing with more than half and less than the full circle, then knitting the toe making a yarn change intermediate of its length from instep yarn to a heavier yarn and subsequently knitting in a plurality of courses of heavier yarn to connect with the widened end of the toe pocket, said subsequent knitting being done with a progressively varying number of needles to match the number of courses first added to the instep.

1Q Atknitted stocking having a toe pocket with a. diagonal suture on each side and a-plurality of courses of instep yarn of progres- Sively varying length introduced in the top portion of the foot between the instep and the toe pocket, and a number of courses e01- responding-to said insertc-ourses and of inversely varying length and of heavier yarn than the inste yarn introduced in the bottom portion 0 the foot and registering with the extremities of the upper insert.

11, A knitted stocking having a narrowed and widened toe pocket and a gusset between the instep and the toe pocket having tapered ends, the shortest course of said gusset extending between the inner ends of the sutures of the toe pocket and the points of the gusset extending beyond the sutures, and a co1npensating segment of fabric interposed between and connecting the widened end of the toep'ocket with the underside of the foot and being-formed with tapered ends to meet the tapered ends of 'said gusset.

V JOHN M. ALLEN. 

